SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Oct. 12, 2019) – Indiana Grand’s Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse jockeys came together to support Pink Out Night at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino Saturday, Oct. 12 in a big way. A total of 29 jockeys donated at least $75 to support the cause and in return, they were able to shave Clerk of Scales Steve Cahill’s head. The jockeys gathered around Cahill in the winner’s circle, each taking a turn for a swipe across his head.
“These guys are all having some fun at this, but in the end, it’s all about raising money for cancer,” said Cahill. “We are a big family here and two of our valets, Terry Warner and Frank Koehler, have been fighting cancer all year. Every one of these guys has been affected in some way by the disease and they all have big hearts. Even though they had a little incentive to donate to shave my head, they all wanted to donate to the cause, and they had a little fun doing it.”
The jockeys donated a total of $3,100 to Indiana Women in Need (I.W.I.N.) which supports those dealing with cancer. Jockeys donating to the cause included Angel Serpa, Edgar Diaz, Rodney Prescott, Ezequiel Lara, Sammy Bermudez, Jose Beltran, Orlando Mojica, Virginia Tormey, Shanley Jackson, Marcelino Pedroza, Kendal Sterritt, Santo Sanjur, DeShawn Parker, Natasha Fritz, Eddie Perez, Oscar Macias, Andrea Ulloa, Gerardo Garrido, Juan Marquez, Leandro Goncalves, Malcolm Franklin, Joe Ramos, Declan Carroll, Samuel Camacho Jr., Fernando Fonseca-Soto, Sammy Mendez, German Rodriguez, Danny Martinez, and Giovani Vazquez-Gomez. Several representatives of I.W.I.N. were present for the entire Pink Out Night event to show support for those affected by the disease.
“We are so grateful to be partnering with Indiana Grand for this event,” said Nancy Shepard, president and secretary of I.W.I.N. “The funds we receive go directly to individuals currently receiving treatment for breast cancer and we are proud to announce that this money will come right back to this immediate area to assist those dealing with cancer right now.”
In addition to the funding from the jockeys, “Peppermints for Ponies” was held where racing fans can purchase peppermints to feed to the pony horses at Indiana Grand between select races. Also, breast cancer wrist bands were sold to those in attendance with all proceeds from each endeavor going to I.W.I.N.
The casino will continue their month-long donation process until October 31, 2019. Anyone donating $10 to I.W.I.N. will receive $10 in casino play. Donations are being taken at the cashier cage located on the casino floor and a final tally of all donations throughout the month of October will be announced at a later date.
Pink Out Night kicked off with a Survivor’s Walk through the barn area prior to the start of the first race. Also, all those affected by cancer gathered in the winner’s circle for the “Survivor’s Classic” and got their photo taken with the winner of the first race. To help with the festivities of Pink Out Night, an appearance by a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like was held. Ms. Monroe mingled with the crowd, taking photos during the evening.
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